


What Makes a Monster

by The_Jashinist



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Canon, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 17:46:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14360460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Jashinist/pseuds/The_Jashinist
Summary: When given a choice between saving a life and getting revenge, Shauna Vayne finds herself reminded that monsters are not just things with teeth and claws.





	What Makes a Monster

**Author's Note:**

> I might expand this into a multi-chapter work, let me know if you'd like that in the comments.

Vayne knew monsters, she knew them better than any Demacian.  With monsters, mercy stood outside the realm of possibility, monsters didn’t show mercy, so why should she?

Vayne shrank against the walls, listening intently for the dragging of chains, the sign that he was here.  There were two beings that relished in the kind of pain that made mortals scream, and one was much more obnoxious than the other.

The dragging sound came to Vayne’s ears, followed by the sound of stumbling feet and panicked breathing.  Vayne stayed where she was, watching the hallway just around the corner as the footsteps moved ever-closer, a crack of metal against claw interspersed between each footstep.

A young man staggered into the moonlight, his chest heaving and blood dripping down his arms from cuts etching agony into his skin.  Most of them would leave scars if he survived this ordeal.  His black hair hung loose, sticking to his face and shoulders.  He couldn’t have been older than seventeen, and by all likelihood, he was younger.

The young man cracked one of his chains like a whip, and a hook, carved from bone and barbed, snapped into his hand as he turned to his attacker.  There was uncertainty in his motions, he didn’t move from his precious circle of moonlight, and his grip tightened on the other chain.

Vayne moved towards the boy slightly, not so close that he could catch sight of her movement, but just so she was within range of the thing heading towards him.  It wasn’t every day she could avenge her parents and save a soul.

A lasher struck out from the darkness, catching the boy across the throat.  Blood burst from the gash, but Vayne had seen far worse wounds, this would not kill the boy, when he opened his mouth a sharp cry came out.  He could still speak; he could still scream.

He wasn’t broken yet.

Vayne fired a bolt at the lasher, but it retreated before the silver tip could strike.  There was an irritated hiss, but Vayne stayed in the shadows, waiting to see what would come next, who the monster would turn to.  Would she focus on her weak and scared prey or the new treat that was full of fight?  The boy stumbled to his feet, holding a hand over his throat wound to stem the bleeding.  His other hand held its bone hook tightly.  He was still scared, still unsteady, but he was watching now, looking for the predator, and looking for Vayne.

A claw burst into the moonlight and the boy struck it aside with the hook, stepping into the darkness and out of Vayne’s sight.  A woman, so pale her skin was tinted blue, followed after, a delighted grin on her face.  Vayne felt her lips curl into a snarl and she fired another bolt, barely missing the woman as she vanished into the shadows.  The footsteps retreated a few paces, then came to a halt.  A crack filled the air, the snapping of bone, and a scream that sent a shudder up even Vayne’s spine.

Vayne stepped into the moonlight, revealing herself to the monster.  It didn’t see her though, too occupied with her immobile victim, squirming in her grasp.  One leg lay limp, a lasher coiled around it, tightening slowly.  The bones snapping from the pressure.  The other lasher bound the boy’s wrists together as the woman dug her claws into his flesh and raked them across his chest.  The boy let out a wail that mixed itself with pleading, but at best, this fell on deaf ears.

“I thought you liked pain,” the woman teased, only answered by a whimper.  Vayne fired a bolt that just barely grazed the woman’s cheek, a warning shot, Vayne would shoot to kill next.  The woman looked back, but her grin didn’t falter.  She turned to Vayne and approached, suspending her victim in the air in front of her.  Vayne couldn’t shoot her without going through the child.

“Take him,” the woman dropped the boy at Vayne’s feet, “he’ll die soon anyway.”

“I’m not here to take him,” Vayne snarled.

“Then decided,” the woman stepped back, “revenge or a life, which is more valuable to you?”

Vayne fired a bolt, but the woman dodged it a disappeared into the shadow.  It would take hours to figure out where she’d gone, her steps were too soft for Vayne to hear.  Vayne looked down at the boy, fighting unconsciousness at her feet.  He’d be lucky to survive one hour without attention, much less several.  Revenge would have to wait, there was life here still.

“Hang on,” Vayne lifted the boy as best she could in her arms and carried him from the ruined maze, keeping to shreds of moonlight and watching the shadows.  The woman wasn’t following, but that didn’t mean they were safe.  Much darker monsters were drawn to blood and suffering, and there were some much less picky about how dead their target was.

Vayne paused at the line of trees around the ruins and lowered the boy to the ground.  She gave the boy’s cheek a gentle pat.  The boy’s face twitched, and his eyes cracked open.

“Hang in there,” Vayne whispered softly, “just a little longer, you’re safe.”

“No, I’m not,” the boy replied, slowly closing his eyes again.

Vayne ignored the boy and lifted him up again, carrying him as far as she could.  There was a small town not far from the ruins, there she could find help.  Perhaps the boy’s family lived in the village.  The woman didn’t venture far from the homes of her victims, and if she did, it was always because her victims had gone far from home themselves.  Not many people, certainly not many children, did that in Demacia.

If there was one thing Vayne could count on, it was Demacian’s ability to help those in need.  The first house in the village immediately took them in, frantic at the state of the young man in Vayne’s arms.  A leg set and wounds clean and bandaged, Vayne waited for the family’s son, not much younger than the boy they’d just saved, to return with the Vanguard staying in the village for the night.

Vayne didn’t want to see one of Demacia’s Dauntless Vanguard, but she knew better than to leave the person she’d just saved scared and alone.  The family didn’t recognize the child, and in a village like this, everyone knew everyone else.

The door opened, and a tall, young Vanguard stepped in.  Vayne thought he didn’t look much older than the boy, but then again, the Vanguard welcomed people as young as twelve into their ranks, so long as they had the discipline.

“Where did you find him?” the Vanguard asked, his voice edged with suspicion as he looked over at the boy.

“The ruins to the North,” Vayne replied, noticing the boy stir slightly.  He was waking up.

“What were you doing there?” the Vanguard asked, almost impatient.

“I heard screaming,” Vayne reasoned, “I didn’t think the source was still breathing.”

“She isn’t,” the boy’s voice croaked out, “I didn’t scream until she caught my throat.”

“You’re awake,” the Vanguard stepped forwards, “then let me repeat my question, what were you doing in the ruins?”

The boy gave the Vanguard a weak glare, “Fuck off.”

Vayne flinched, surprised at the venom in the child’s voice.

The Vanguard cleared his throat and repeated himself, “What were you doing in the ruins, boy?”

The boy rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth, “It’s not your business.”

“It is mine,” Vayne reasoned, “Evelynn doesn’t go after just anyone, she’s picky.”

“Oh she’s picky is she?” the boy sat up and cracked a sharp grin, practically ignoring his injuries despite clear pain on his face, “Should I consider myself blessed?”

“I never said that.”

“You should’ve let me die,” the boy snarled, “kill the demon, leave the child, you’ll save a lot more lives.”

“I won’t leave an innocent right in front of me.”

The boy let out a sharp laugh, a glimmer of pain behind the mocking tone, “I’m no innocent.”

Vayne stiffened but stayed firm, “Then why did she attack you?”

“Because I was having _fun_ ,” the boy spat, “you said she’s picky, that’s because she likes people who are happy.  She likes to ruin it.”

“Out,” the Vanguard ordered the small family, “go upstairs.  Now.”  The family stumbled up the stairs, casting small glances back at the boy.  When he was sure they were gone, the Vanguard towered over the boy.

“You caused the scream,” he accused, “you’re as much a killer as the thing that attacked you.”

The boy grinned wide, “If you want to call it murder, be my guest, I don’t argue with your type on the logistics anymore.”

Vayne stood, recognizing the grin, the cruel words, the bone hook hanging near the boy.

“Don’t shoot him,” the Vanguard ordered.

“Could always hand me back to Evelynn,” the boy sang, “let the monster take care of the monster.”

“No,” the Vanguard raised his voice, “I’m not killing you.  if you don’t kill, neither will I.”

“He doesn’t follow orders,” Vayne pointed out.

“He’ll learn,” the Vanguard replied, lifting the boy’s chin, “or he’ll suffer.”

The boy’s grin faded into a snarl, “What are you talking about?”

“You help me, and you can stay,” the Vanguard offered, “if you’re who I think you are, there’s a lot more than demons hunting you.”

The boy hesitated, “And what’s in it for me?”

“Nothing, you do this, or I hand you over to her,” the Vanguard nodded to Vayne, “she will happily make that throat wound lethal.”

The boy looked at Vayne, then sighed.

“Can I have a name?” the Vanguard asked, content that he’d succeeded in his threat.

“Thresh,” the boy muttered.

“Pleasure to meet you Thresh,” the Vanguard smiled slightly, “my name is Garen.”

**Author's Note:**

> So again, I might expand this into a multi-chapter work, so if you want that, let me know in the comments. I won't really count kudos, so if you want me to write more definitely let me know.


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